Wanted
by Jason Tandro
Summary: After saving the world from the demons, Virginia Maxwell and her comrades will learn what it truly means to be a Drifter.
1. Chapter 1: The Outset

Chapter I- The Outset

The town of Little Twister hadn't changed at all since the criminals had last been there. It was still a crummy little town of dishonest men who were allegedly policed by an ineffectual sheriff who was as crooked as the rest of the inhabitants of town. If there was a place in all the world that would make the wasteland appear hospitable, it was this town.

It was the birthplace of the most notorious Drifter to ever take flight, Janus Cascade. A man who was driven by greed, power and fear of his own mortality, into surrendering his humanity and becoming one of the demons of legend. Of course, his life had ended by the very power he sought, and yet he remained a legend. Perhaps this would have pleased him, to know that his infamy had not dwindled with the passage of time.

Of course, these criminals were in those banks as well, nearing Janus in infamy. A group as obvious as them stood out in a crowd, and were reviled for being the murderers of Lamium, a man who represented not just an ideal of peace, but was the physical embodiment of the inquisitive nature of the human race. One does not martyr an innocent man and go without record or name, and such was the case with these criminals.

Although, they were innocent as well. Puppets in the final victory of the demon Beatrice. The humans who had, in fact, saved the world would go down in history as villains. They would be hunted, and know no rest. It made Virginia sick to her stomach every time she thought about it.

She sat across the table from the rest of her comrades, who had huddled together, wanting to give her room to vent. They had followed her diligently from the first time they met, even though they all knew she was less experienced and more delicate than the rest of them.

To her right was Gallows Carradine, a tall Baskar priest who was busy shoveling food into his mouth. Gallows had always been the least serious of the group, and had rarely lived up to his priestly title (albeit this was because for a good portion of his life he had denied his priesthood). However he was loyal, and did his best to keep the group in good spirits.

Across from her was Jet Enduro, the most impossible man Virginia had ever met. Although calling him a man was something she had to think about. He was technically not human. Created artificially, as a prototype to test a theory about Filgaia's life, could he be called human? Even if not, he was still hard to deal with. He was brash, cold, and introverted, not to mention a short-fuse.

To her left, was Clive Winslet. Clive was a family man, which made him an unusual Drifter. He had a beautiful wife and adorable little girl, who waited for him back in Humphrey's Peak, across the Dunes. However this did not slow him down at all, and when it came to contracts or negotiation, Clive was clearly the most experienced and professional. As a former archaeologist, he was also incredibly clever.

And there she sat, Virginia Maxwell. A silly little girl who had gotten them all into this mess. She couldn't even eat. She sat, cursing internally and fuming externally.

"So… where do we go now?" Virginia asked, trying to calm down.

Their options were limited. Lombardia, their dragon companion, had returned to her nest. Virginia had promised her that when their quest was over, she would never have to battle again. The dragon's nest was an area that was never visited by humans anymore, because of the rumors that the dragon there had been vanquished and all that remained were monsters.

They still had their Sandcraft, and they had modified it wonderfully, back when they were on good terms with the Arms Smith in Jolly Roger. Of course being a fugitive meant you were only welcome in a place like Little Twister. Of course even with the demise of the Balal Quo Naga by their hands, the Dunes were a dangerous place.

"Let's see. We're banned from the following locales: Gunner's Heaven, Claiborne, Jolly Roger, Ballack Rise, and Laxisland. We're welcome in Boot Hill, Humphrey's Peak and the Baskar Colony. And I grow sick of spending every waking minute in this seedy little town," Clive summed the situation up as squarely as he always did.

"We should head to Humphrey's Peak. It's a short distance across the dunes, and your wife and little girl are probably worried sick about you," Virginia suggested.

"Thank you," Clive nodded.

"My concern is how are we going to survive? Even with us being welcome in a few towns, nobody is going to hire infamous iconoclasts like us," Jet surmised.

"Well we still have quite a bit of funds. What's our bank like now, eh? 13,000 Gella? That'll last us a while," Gallows chimed in.

"Not if we have to continue staying at inns," Jet retorted.

"We should settle our own town," Virginia said, half-jokingly. "Let's just head to Humphrey's Peak for now, okay?"

Jet scoffed and leaned back in his chair, but nodded all the same. "Whatever."

--

The Sandcraft had remained undisturbed during their week in Little Twister. However being left to sit in the dunes instead of in the safety of Jolly Roger's dock had put some natural wear on the engines. Virginia had a little trouble starting the engines, but they finally kicked to life with the jump that Virginia felt she would never get used to.

Clive took his place at the harpoon, and Jet sat lazily next to the main gun. Gallows took his usual seat by the map and radar, just waiting to help out in case of an attack. Despite its small size, the interior of the Sandcraft was actually fairly roomy. It could seat eight and in the back there was a small living/dining/ bedroom combination that could house six. In the very back was a restroom.

They had long ago learned to stock plenty of supplies. One of their encounters with a dune creature had run them aground in the middle of nowhere and they went for three days without food or water while Clive and Jet made the necessary repairs. They had packed onboard a weeks worth of food and water; the nonperishable kind that they never ate unless they absolutely had to.

"So, you think this old girl will get us through the Dunes okay?" Gallows asked.

"We'll be fine," Clive said.

The Sandcraft roared off the coastline and plunged into the quicksand dunes that were once an ocean. The sound of sand grating against the hull, which almost sounded like nails scratching on a chalkboard, was an annoyance that they had learned to deal with.

The rising sun guided these criminals to their haunt.


	2. Chapter 2: The Dunes

Chapter II- The Dunes

The Sandcraft moved very slow, at least when compared to a horse, but as it was the only way across the dunes, it was well worth it. Under serious time constraints, Virginia could push the craft up to 25 mph, but that was it's peak. Normally, she let the craft amble at 10 mph for fear of over-working the engine. She saved the machine's speed and maneuverability for battle scenarios.

"Virginia, I'm gonna double check the harpoon. Get ready for a jolt," Clive said.

The craft leered backwards slightly as the harpoon was fired and then quickly retracted. Clive had taken to doing these tests at least once a day. Virginia only wished the rest of her crew was as diligent at their stations. Jet and Gallows were playing poker at the table in the dining area, using a kettle to hold their chips, lest a sudden lurch sent it flying. They kept the cards that weren't being used in the pack.

"Flush, Clubs" Gallows said.

"Full House," Jet said triumphantly.

"Better luck next time," Gallows grinned.

"What are you talking about?" Jet asked. "Full house beats a flush."

"No it doesn't. It's way harder to get a flush than a full house," said Gallows.

"Maybe so, but the official rules of poker says I win," Jet announced as he held out a card with the official rules typed on it.

"That's a typo!" Gallows shouted. "Clive, flush beats a full house right?"

"Sorry Gallows," Clive said as he punched some numbers into his screen. "Jet wins that hand."

Jet sneered and Gallows chuckled. "Ah, whatever. It's not real money anyways. You want in on this Clive?"

"No thanks. I need to keep my station operational," Clive explained.

"What about you Virginia?" Gallows asked. "You can put this girl on autopilot. We're at least two days from Humphrey's Peak."

"No thank you," Virginia said. "I'd like to run her myself as long as possible. You two should at least run the basic maintenance on your stations sometime today."

Jet scoffed. "Are you kidding? It's a waste of ammo. Even with the dummy shells, we're still wasting gunpowder."

"And all I really do is sit and watch the radar," Gallows said. "I can do that well from here. And we're still all clear in all three dimensions. Just like we were an hour ago."

Virginia did notice that their trip had been unusually quiet. By now they would have run afoul of a dune creature, or hit some obstacle. She wished she could be as casual as the others, but something didn't feel right.

Virginia finally grew weary of watching the endless sand and fog, and put the sandcraft on auto-pilot. Jet and Gallows had finished playing poker about an hour ago. Jet was now cleaning his ARM, the machinegun Airget-lahm, and Gallows was playing a ballad on the guitar, without bothering to sing.

She headed over to her bed, and announced. "I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me if anything interesting happens."

"Don't you want dinner?" Clive asked.

She hadn't noticed, but he had been busy over in the small kitchen area heating up some soup and meat on the stove. Virginia was too tired to eat, even though she was starving. She politely declined and set her ARMs beside her on the bedpost.

---

When she awoke, the first thing that she noticed was that she was not in her bed. She had fallen off and hit the hard metal floor. She glanced up to see Jet at the gun, firing rapidly into an enemy she couldn't see. Gallows was at the helm and Clive was clinging to the harpoon controls with sweat falling in massive beads from his hair.

"What's happening?" She cried.

"Nice of you to finally wake up!" Jet called.

"You could have woken me yourselves!" She retorted.

She ran up the small stairs to her post at the Helm and saw a massive tentacle flying towards her. It hid the side of the sandcraft with a jolt that sent Gallows, Virginia and Clive flying to the right. Jet hit his gun controls with such a crack that Virginia knew for certain that he had broken one of his ribs. Jet didn't even flinch, but continued firing until he heard the chamber click dully.

"Gallows! Ammo!" Jet shouted.

"I'm on it!" He cried getting up off the floor and rushing to reload the barrel.

"I'm taking the helm!" Virginia shouted. "Clive, retract the harpoon. I'm going to send up a flare and take evasive action!"

"You haven't seen how big this thing is!" Gallows shouted. "Whatever it is it's all around us! Evasive action isn't possible!"

"That's impossible!" Virginia shouted. "Nothing can be that big! There's got to be more than one of them."

"The radar is showing one very big and very pissed off monster right below us!" Gallows shouted. "These are just the tentacles!"

"I'm gonna try it anyways! Our craft can't hold against this kind of onslaught!" Virginia shouted.

The sandcraft lurched backwards.

"Clive! I thought I told you to retract the harpoon!" Virginia shouted.

"The chain is locked!" Clive shouted. "She won't retract!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Jet cursed. "Even after all your tests, your equipment still malfunctioned! Imagine that!"

"Okay Jet, aim for the tentacle! If we can't retract it we're gonna have to lose it!" Virginia shouted.

"Now you're making sense!" Jet shouted.

Gallows loaded the last of the ammo into the barrel and shouted. "Clear!"

"Firing!" Jet shouted.

Virginia saw the rounds hit the tentacle firmly and saw the harpoon breaking half, the jagged end still sticking in the tentacle. Clive snapped back with the whip of the chain and fell out of his chair.

"Lost the harpoon!" He shouted.

"Need more ammo over here!" Jet shouted.

But their shouts seemed like they were miles away now. One massive tentacle went sailing straight towards Virginia and broke through the sandcraft. It grabbed her around her throat, and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3: The Wasteland

Chapter III- The Wasteland

Virginia was awakened by the sunlight reflecting off the western shoreline. The brilliant orange glow burned her eyes fiercely when she opened them, so she kept them shut for a moment. Just long enough for her to realize that she hadn't died. She stood up after the sun had set, and was now somewhere, all alone.

She had seen the entire world from the sky, thanks to Lombardia, but she didn't recall seeing any shoreline that looked like this. She turned around and tried to make out familiar cliff formations or rock patterns, but it had already become to dark to tell. She grasped for her ARMs… but they weren't there.

She had set them beside her before she went to bed. How was she still alive? The creature that attacked the sandcraft could have easily killed her? Did the others mange to fight it off. If so, where were they? She quickly took a scan of the beach before the encroaching darkness blackened any hope of finding them.

Nothing was there, as she expected. She checked her bag to see what had survived the crash. After pouring out a good deal of sand, she found her purse, which had about 200 gella in it, a small length of rope, spare clips for her ARMs, and a small sleeping bag.

She crawled onto the dusty shores and reached into the sand to see if there was any useful flotsam. Nothing appeared salvageable. For the first time in her life, Virginia had absolutely no idea what to do.

She didn't dare go to sleep, even if she was tired enough to. You never sleep alone in the wasteland, especially at night. She couldn't exactly explore in the dark with no torch, either. She would have to stay exactly where she was, and she hated it.

She wondered what had happened to her friends. Had the monster flung them to some out of the way place as well? Or had it killed them? Or maybe some had lived and others died. Any prospect was gloomy, there was no way that beast had just let them go. If it had, they would have been able to rescue Virginia.

Virginia had no idea what was going on. She only knew that she was freezing, and the biting wasteland winds were now upon her. She unrolled the sleeping bag and wrapped it around her, but she couldn't fall asleep. It would be a pity to survive whatever it was that happened, only to die here from a rookie mistake.

She sat thinking all through the night, alternating between worrying about her comrades, and trying to decide what to do. The only thing that kept her going was the thought that she'd know more in the morning.

When finally she saw the eastern sky lighten, and felt the first bit of renewing warmth, she packed her bag and began to hike. She now wished that she had slept, but she wouldn't give into sleep just yet.

Wherever she was, it was definitely a large landmass. At least Virginia wasn't stuck on a wasteland island. That was a slow, painful death. But still, if there were no trains or towns, then she would be just as dead, just as quickly. Perhaps faster, if there were also monsters about.

At midday, the heat overtook her, and she desperately grasped at her canteen, hoping to find water still in it. There was a small bit of water left, but it lasted her one gulp, which left her neither satisfied nor renewed. And now, she realized that she would have to hike the remaining stretch without any water.

However, the Gods seemed to take pity on Virginia and as evening set, the sun was hidden behind clouds and she felt the first drops of rain. She hastily made a makeshift tent using her sleeping bag, rope and a small cavity in a cliff formation. She set her canteen out to gather as much rain as it could hold and when the rain stopped during the night, she was pleased to see that the canteen was filled about halfway.

She decided to chance at sleep, since she hadn't seen any monsters yet and figured that if she continued to push herself, she would fall asleep anyways at a less convenient time.

She awoke the next morning to a ripping sound. She saw something clawing at her dress, and sighed relief upon seeing that her dress had just been snagged on a jagged rock. She packed up her bag yet again and continued to hike aimlessly along the shoreline.

Suddenly, at about noon that day, she recognized something. There was a large structure up ahead that she instantly recognized as the town of Ballack Rise. She ran towards it, but the town kept going further and further away from her. She sighed and took a drink of water.

It had just been a mirage. She had been nowhere near Ballack Rise during the accident, so how could it be? She decided that she would continue hiking in the direction that the mirage had been for no real reason other than that it was a possible direction in which to travel.

When night came that day, her canteen had been emptied, and there was no sign of rain in the heavens. She pitched her tent and chanced sleep another night.

Once again she awoke to a ripping sound, but this one was much louder. Somebody was tearing down her tent. She jumped out from under it and raised her arms. Standing in front of her were two large men. One of them was wearing a brown shirt with black pants, and the other wore the opposite combination.

"Goodness gracious, girl," said the man in the brown shirt. "You must be lost."

"Who are you?" Virginia demanded.

"My apologies," said the man in the black shirt. "Didn't mean to be rude. Jack Bennet's the name."

"Leroy Wilhelm," said the man in the brown shirt.

"Virginia Maxwell," Virginia nodded. "So what are you doing out here?"

"I think we're the ones who should be asking that question ma'am," Leroy chuckled. "Seeing as how you're the one who's stuck in a sleeping bag tent."

"I was in a sandcraft accident and I washed up on shore," Virginia explained. "Or… at least I think that's what happened. Could you please tell me where I am?"

"Over'n that direction," began Jack. "You'll see our home of Gunner's Heaven."

Virginia was quite familiar with Gunner's Heaven, and the area surrounding it. How was it that none of the surroundings looked familiar?

"It's about a four hour ride," Leroy continued. "But we'll make it before you pass out from heatstroke."

Jack handed Virginia his canteen. "Don't drink it all now, but have your fill."

Virginia accidentally had a little more than her fill, and forced herself to stop before she down the last few ounces. She handed the canteen back to Jack, slightly embarrassed.

"So… you haven't told me why you're out here," Virginia explained. "Mind you I'm very grateful that you came and rescued me, but…"

"You really don't know do you?" Leroy asked in amazement. "You haven't noticed the fact that everything is changing?"

"I'm sorry, I really don't get it," Virginia said.

Leroy shook his head and he nodded at Jack. Jack leaned back against his horse, which Virginia just now noticed, and sighed.

"Funny things been happening , and they're all emanating from what used to be that big old crater," Jack said.

"What used to be?" Virginia asked.

"Yeah," Leroy said. "About four days ago, everything started getting weird, you hear? First animals were acting ornery, and then monsters appear out of nowhere, and now it seems like the very land itself is just changing. Like that huge crater… well. I figure you'd better see it for your own eyes or else you'll call us crazy."

Leroy jumped onto his horse and helped Virginia up. Virginia didn't really know if she could trust these men, but she had little choice now. Jack took the lead on his horse and they began to head north. After two hours of the blazing heat, Virginia wanted to ask for another sip of Jack's canteen, but she didn't dare. Finally, after one more hour, she saw it.

"What in the world am I looking at?" She asked herself.

Leroy brought his horse to a halt, and Jack did the same. Virginia jumped off and ran towards what had once been a massive crater, where Yggdrasil- the great machine that the Prophets had built- stood. In its place, there were no mountains, no crater, and no trees. Just one massive ocean of brilliant blue.

Virginia rushed forward, but Jack stopped her. "Don't try to drink it. It's all salty. Just our luck, right? But it washes and cools just the same. Go and have a dip if you like."

Virginia laughed. "Yeah, I bet you boys would like that."

The three of them laughed, and then Leroy patted on the back of his horse, a signal for Virginia to reclaim her seat. She did so and they rode along the seashore for another mile before seeing Gunner's Heaven.

But what was truly remarkable was that, where once there had been barren wasteland, there were now green fields and a small river of fresh water which led straight into Gunner's Heaven.

"That water's okay to drink, except towards the mouth there. You can have you fill of that, and won't nobody say nothing," Jack said. "Well, we're gonna go out and check out the wasteland some more, but we'll be back around supper time. You go on in; ain't no strangers in Gunner's Heaven."

Virginia bowed gratefully and headed to the main gate of the massive arena town Gunner's Heaven.


	4. Chapter 4: Gunner's Heaven

Chapter IV- Gunner's Heaven

The exterior may be completely different, but the interior of Gunner's Heaven hadn't changed in the slightest. It was a walled fortress with an inn, a bar, a small shop and (the pride and joy of Gunner's Heaven) the arena. The crowds in the stadium were cheering loudly as one of the warriors inside appeared to be doing quite well.

Virginia headed to the bar, hoping that she might run into one of her comrades, but the only people there were all unfamiliar faces. She sat and ordered a drink, tolerating (but just barely) the stares that the other men were giving her. The bartender walked up to her and apologized.

"Sorry miss, the gents don't mean any harm, but pretty girls are hard to come by way out here," the bartender said. "You look like you've had a rough time, so the drink is on the house."

Virginia smiled and thanked him, but her words were drowned out by another woman's voice.

"Hard to come by?" Came the loud, girlish titter. "What about me?"

"Well Coney," the bartender smiled. "You know I meant no offense."

There was a loud cheer from the drunkards as Coney walked in. She wore a brown jacket and a dress of the same color underneath. She wore white, ceremonial gloves. Virginia was well aware of the cheerful, if somewhat bloodthirsty, young master of ceremonies Coney. She was the commentator for arena events.

"I guess the match is over then?" The bartender asked.

"Yeah. It was terribly boring. The poor guy got his arm torn clean off and didn't want to continue. So I got out early. Lord Begucci wasn't exactly thrilled either. He didn't even last but one round, though," Coney softened up slightly. "I suppose the Hydra is tough enough opponent. The crowd sure loved it. Get me a drink darling, I'm parched."

The bartender handed Coney a glass of a strange brownish liquid that smelled almost like cider, but with a hint of alcohol. She downed it in one gulp and thanked the bartender. She then began to look over Virginia.

"Say, sugar? Haven't we met before?" She asked.

"I've been here before, yes," Virginia replied. "I was traveling with three men at the time."

"Now I remember," Coney smiled admiringly. "And you were the leader of that group. You sure knew how to keep your men in line. What is your secret?"

Virginia shrugged and shook her head.

"So," Coney said. "What are you doing all the way out in these parts?"

"My sand craft was attacked," Virginia explained. "And I just woke up on the shore about three days hike south west of here."

"That's terrible!" Coney cried. "What about your friends?"

"I don't know if they made it or not," Virginia felt like she was about to cry. Finally talking about it with somebody- the fate of her comrades, that is- seemed to be getting to her at last. She stiffened up. "But I'm gonna keep looking for them. I need to find some was across the dunes."

"Where to?" Coney asked.

Virginia thought about it, and then decided. "Humphrey's Peak. That's where we were headed."

"Humphrey's Peak, eh?" Coney pondered, crossing her arms. "I reckon you could probably get there on foot if the land doesn't stop moving. But let's see."

Coney pulled out a map of Filgaia and placed it on the bar.

"Your only hope of getting back to the mainland is taking the abandoned railroad tracks southeast. There's a tunnel that goes under there and it should take you right to Highland Station," Coney said. "Of course if you're gonna do it, I'd do it fast. Lord knows when the changing terrain will start affecting that tunnel."

"Thank you," Virginia bowed. "Is there any place I can purchase a horse?"

"Stable's around yonder," Coney said pointing out behind the bar. "They'll sell you one cheap I reckon. If you flirt a little with 'em."

There was a trumpet fanfare and Coney blushed. "Oh my goodness! I have to get back to the arena! Good luck darling!"

And with that, Coney ran out of the bar and back to the arena. Virginia headed out behind her and hiked a short distance over to the stables, where an old man in white robes was waiting for her.

_He's a member of the Order of the Ark of Destiny. _Virginia realized with a shudder. She suddenly remembered that she was still a wanted criminal. But she had no choice. She headed over to the man and pulled out her purse.

"How much to borrow a horse?" She asked.

"100 gella, but for a pretty lady like you… I'll…" the man gave her a quizzical look, and then lightning flashed across his eyes. What Virginia had been fearing came to pass. "You're the one that killed Lamium! Guards!"

Virginia decided to take a page out of Jet's book; now was not the time to try and reason. She jumped over the fence and grabbed a white horse from the stable. She snapped on the reins and the horse took off with a dash. Two guards with rifles began to fire after her, but their aim was terrible. Virginia made it out of the gate and back onto the wasteland.

Or what had once been a wasteland.


	5. Chapter 5: The Tunnel

Chapter V- The Tunnel

Even on horseback, the dark tunnel seemed to go on forever. Virginia had guessed that she had been riding for about two hours since she left Gunner's Heaven. She had made a makeshift torch out of a railroad plank and some torn cloth from her dress. She lit it on fire with a spare set of matches that she found near a workstation towards the beginning of the tunnel, and was now thoroughly enveloped in darkness.

She had expected the underground tunnel to be cold; it had never seen the light of the sun. She did not expect it to be freezing. She held the torch close to her; her only source of heat. Her back and feet were trembling from the cold, her eyes burning from the smoke. Her horse's stride had slowed from the cold, and she knew that she still had a long way off to go.

The darkness seemed to span on forever, with no hope of relieve. And what if the "changes" caused cave-ins? Would she be crushed by falling rocks? Be smothered in the dunes? Or perhaps would she merely be trapped and slowly freeze to death?

Although the quiet offered her time to reflect more fully on what was going on in the world around her.

It seemed like ages ago, when it had only been months, that she and her comrades faced the Prophets. Leehalt, Malik and Melody. Three scientists, survivors of the Yggdrasil project, and those who followed the will of the Demon Lord Siegfried.

It was their plan to evolve Filgaia, and in order to do that, humans would either be forced to turn into Demons themselves, or disappear along with the rest of Filgaia. Terraforming, they called it. The said that the world would change.

Virginia knew this could not be the case. They had destroyed Yggdrasil and the Dream Demon Beatrice had ripped out its generator. They had killed the Demon Lord Siegfried and beaten Beatrice and her new Filgaia. So… what was this?

Perhaps it had been as her father spoke when they last met.

Jet Enduro was not just another drifter. He was created as a part machine, in order to be the test sample for a new Filgaia, much in the same way that Beatrice had tried to create her monster Filgaia. Her father had said that, when they restored the old Filgaia, Jet's memories would help bring about the Filgaia that had once been… a world of green and blue.

Of course, was memory the right word? Jet had no memories, he said so himself. But programmed inside him was the vision of those who had been alive during the prime days of Filgaia. There were vast oceans, green fields and forests. And there were no quicksand dunes.

Virginia was torn. This could simply be Jet's memories finally affecting the planet of Filgaia, or it could be something far darker, the will of the Prophets come to fruition at last.

She heard some sort of clanging up ahead. It couldn't be a train. This track hadn't been used in years. She lifted the torch up just enough to see ahead of her, and saw something that amazed her.

The train tunnel had disappeared. She was looking out over a massive underground cavern system. There were water-wheels collecting the rivers of water that ran through this cavern system. These wheels were connected to pulleys, which were running massive machines of half-organic design.

She couldn't tell exactly what they were doing, but did see something that gave her a new cause for alarm. The water level was rising. Her horse threw her from her saddle and turned running at the sight of the massive pool of water. She called vainly for it to return. As far as she had traveled she would never be able to make it back to Gunner's Heaven in time.

She looked around the caverns and realized something. She could see. Without use of the torch there was a source of light. She looked above her and saw a large hole from whence sprang daylight. If she could just reach the ceiling somehow. Eventually the water would lift her up, but she didn't want to risk being stuck in the currents that were now spiraling around the large basin of water beneath her.

She observed the pulleys and saw them go up, just a few feet below the hole. She would have to try and jump. Running over to the nearest pulley she felt the hard ground quake beneath her feet. The heavy machines seemed to be tearing into the very earth. Her hand reached out for the rope, but the cord was moving far to fast for her to grab a hold of. The rope burned through her gloves, leaving a bloody gash in her palm.

Virginia fell back and whimpered in pain. She looked around for any other way out. There was no tunnel leading upward, except the path that lead back to Gunner's Heaven. The water level was now mere feet below her and her only option out was too dangerous.

She lay back on the ground and just waited for the inevitable. There was no point anymore. Her friends had probably died, she was a wanted criminal for a crime she didn't commit and most of all, she was just tired.

She would just go to sleep, and when she woke up, maybe she would be back on the Sandcraft. Maybe all of this would end up being some horrible nightmare. However the pulsing gash on her left hand reminded her that this was not a likely scenario.

She felt the first trickle of the cold water, and it did nothing to her. She didn't move or even open her eyes. The water rose to her hips, her chest, and finally it overtook her. She lay in the water, just waiting for death to reach out its hand and take her. She floated upward with the rising water… and then something grabbed her. She felt a set of strong, muscular arms wrap around her waist and pull her up swiftly to the surface of the water. She gasped a breath of air and looked into the face of the man who had rescued her. It was the face of a dark, tall Baskar man.

"Gallows!" Virginia cried. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a fine question ask me!" Gallows shouted over the rushing waterfall. "I've been hiking for three days now with no food or water, I see something that looks like a lake and see you sitting in it looking like a fresh corpse!"

They drifted up to the large hole and when they became level with the ground, the water stopped rising. Virginia saw two rivers connecting with where the hole had been. Gallows set her down on the sand next to the newly formed lake and sat down beside her.

"Thank you," she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You're welcome," Gallows said, as he took a sip of water from the lake. "So. Do you have any idea what the hell is going on?"


	6. Chapter 6: Fila Del Fia

Chapter VI- Fila Del Fia

"Start from the beginning," Virginia demanded. "I really have no idea what happened. The last thing I remember is being sucked out of the Sandcraft by one of the tentacles."

"Well," Gallows began. "After that happened we all sort of freaked out, you know. Jet stopped firing to try and save you. He ran up and jumped out onto the top of the Sandcraft and started firing the Airget-lamh like ammo grew on trees.

Well I could tell what he was doing from the get-go. He was hoping to get one of those tentacles to suck him up so he could get closer to you. Sure enough, one of the tentacles reaches down and tries to grab him around his head, like it did you, but he ducked out of the way and began to climb up the tentacle.

Meanwhile, Clive had taken over the helm. He figured with the harpoon broken there was no more need to man his station, so he kept her steady and tried to get under the two of you. I was busy trying to keep the other tentacles away from us with that damn gun, but I had to keep going back and forth to reload it.

Anyways Jet jumped like an acrobat, I've never seen him so agile in my entire life. Hopping like a toad from tentacle to tentacle he managed to grab a hold of you, but you had passed out. He starts making his way back to the Sandcraft with you in tow, but something happened.

The monster showed its ugly head. You'll never believe me when I tell you this, but it looked like a giant human face, and it was shaped just like the face of that Dream Demon!"

At this Virginia gasped. This was not a good sign. She decided that she would let Gallows finish his story before she started hers.

"Well she lets out this godawful shriek and Jet and you sorta… float. You're suspended in the air and then… BAM! She sends Jet flying far to the south and you far to the north… or at least that's what it seemed at the time. Your body sorta contorted mid flight, but still.

Well at this point we've figured you two were both dead, so we just sorta go nuts. I've never seen Clive that mad in my entire life. He just runs the Sandcraft at full speed right towards that monsters head and that's when things get a little fuzzy for me. All I know is I woke up somewhere completely different.

I landed on a desert shoreline, that was completely news to me, right? I start hiking for about a day and I see that old crater from the wrecked city. You know Fila Del Fia? Well I was relieved to see a familiar area, but it freaked me out because… well you know. We know what the area around Fila Del Fia looks like. We've seen the whole world, or thereabouts. So why didn't I remember any of the terrain?

Well, I'm not completely stupid. I figured it might have been something to do with the Dream Demon. I figured that she plucked the memories from our head… or maybe altered them somehow. But it still was a little unnerving.

I go inside, right? And the first thing I see freaked me out. All the old machines were running again. The thing looked brand new. I figure if the Teardrop had been there, the thing would have been floating in the sky, just like it was rumored to have once done.

Well, this is where things get really weird. I heard a voice in my head telling me that this was the place we had to go. It said something like 'The Immigrant Vessel is no longer viable. Fila Del Fia is the only place that can support us.'

But what was really weird was that I don't think the voice was talking to me. It was talking to somebody else and I just happened to overhear the two of them talking. Yeah, there were two, because shortly after that another voice starting saying something along the lines of 'Without the Teardrop we can do nothing. We will need to reclaim it.'

And then the first voice says 'Well, the terraforming has begun. We'll find it eventually.'"

Virginia had returned the Teardrop to its resting place… the Ruins of Memory near the port town of Jolly Roger. She wondered if the terraforming had gotten that far yet.

"So what did you do Gallows?" Virginia asked.

"Well…" Gallows continued. "I didn't really know what to do. The voices stopped talking and I figured it was time to am-scray before whoever was talking figured out I was listening in on them. So I high-tailed it out of there and didn't stop running until I couldn't see the outline of the crater. And that's when it hit me.

I had been running on land where there didn't use to be land. I've been hiking along this new peninsula… at least I think it's a peninsula, for about two days now and I just happened to run into you."

Virginia nodded, and then explained what had happened to her, and discussed her thoughts on what was happening, which seemed to correlate perfectly with Gallows tale from Fila Del Fia.

"Man, that's some crazy stuff. But at least you're alright now," Gallows said, patting Virginia on the back. "I figure if you made it from being thrown and I made it still being in the Sandcraft, then Jet and Clive gotta be alive somewhere. We just gotta find them. Say where were you heading?"

"Oh, Humphrey's Peak," Virginia explained. "I mean we all knew that was our next destination. I just hope the others remember that."

"That's a good idea. I was just gonna look for the nearest town, like you. But come to think of it," Gallows pulled out his map. He took out a small characoal stone and began to mark on the map. "Lets say I can walk about 25 miles a day, right? That would put us somewhere in this region. I figure if we hold this course solid we'll be at the area between Laxisland and Ballack Rise in about a day and from there maybe we can do some shore skimming to hike to Humphrey's Peak."

"I've got a better idea," came a thundering voice from the sky.

Virginia couldn't believe her eyes. Staring back at her was the dragon Lombardia.


	7. Chapter 7: Humphrey's Peak

Chapter VII- Humphrey's Peak

As she sat on the back of Lombardia, with the wind racing through her hair, Virginia remembered how much she loved flying. The mighty dragon soared in the direction of Humphrey's Peak as Virginia began to bombard her with questions.

"Why did you come looking for us?" Virginia asked.

"My nest was destroyed by the terraforming. I knew only Demons with the power to reverse this madness and their will would not be turned to mine. So I sought out the only humans who have ever proven themselves mightier than the demons."

"But that wasn't really our power. It was the power of the Guardians," Virginia replied.

"You do yourself injustice by being so modest, little one," the dragon said. "Where are the Guardians anyway? I do not sense their presence here."

The group had returned all of the Guardians to the Fallen Sanctuary. The outer shrines were vulnerable with the planet in its current state and the Baskar wished to look after all of the Mediums: the physical representation of the guardians.

"We returned them to the Baskar Colony," Gallows answered for her.

"Then we must recollect them," Lombardia said. "If I must come out of retirement, then so must the Guardians."

---

The dragon landed just outside the city gates and assured Virginia and Gallows that she would wait there as long as they needed, even if "1000 days and nights should pass."

Virginia and Gallows strolled into town looking for any familiar faces. They were relieved to see that the terraforming had apparently not reached this area yet. However, people were whispering about the areas that had been affected. From what the two of them heard, it appeared that Humphrey's Peak, Little Rock, Baskar Colony, and Jolly Roger were the only areas that had not been touched yet.

One person said that Little Twister had actually been engulfed in a massive shift and now sat a the bottom of a blocked off canyon. The only way out of town now was to use the backdoor of the Black Market and hike for about a mile until you reached the surface. Apparently the area was still a wasteland, though.

The plains village of Claiborne, one of the few areas where there was grass in the former wasteland world, was now abundant in not only fresh grass, but massive forests had sprung up around the town that stretched all the way to the Caging Tower.

Laxisland had been hit quite hard. The town had risen about a quarter mile and a massive swamp surrounded it. Even further away from the town, in the area where once dwelt the lair of Lombaria was now a thick bog and only the faintest remains of a mountain.

Boot Hill was still green, but it had shifted to be much closer to Jolly Roger. And the Ark of Destiny; home of the Order, had mysteriously vanished.

Virginia and Gallows arrived at Clive's home in Humphrey's Peak. Somehow, before she even bothered to knock, Virginia knew that nobody would be there. A little girl, the Virginia recognized to be Clive's daughter, answered the door.

A wide smile crossed her face and she ran into the back shouting: "Mommy! Mommy! Daddy's home!"

A twinge of sorrow hit Virginia, and her heart ached. Clive's wife, Catherine, came to the door and looked at the group with a smile matching that of her daughter.

"Come on in!" She said. A puzzled look crossed her face. "Where's my husband? And Jet?"

"We have a lot to explain, ma'am," Gallows said, hanging his head low.

Gallows and Virginia took turns recounting their stories. About how they had stopped Beatrice from destroying the world, how they had been turned outlaw, and about their battle with the massive monster on the dunes. They continued to talk about the terraforming and how Lombardia had saved them.

"So…" Catherine sighed. "You don't know where my husband is?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am," Gallows said. "But we have our dragon back, and she'll help us find him."

"Can you think of anywhere your husband might go, besides coming back here?" Virginia asked.

Catherine thought for a moment. "I imagine he would want to go… to where my father is buried."

"What?" Asked Gallows.

"If he knows about the world terraforming, then certainly the first place he would go would not be to see me or Kaitlyn, but…" she sighed. "To tell my father that he was right."

"The Ruin of Dreams," Virginia nodded. "We'll have Lombardia take us there straight away. We have no time to lose!"

Virginia and Gallows bowed and they rushed out the door. Behind them, they heard Kaitlyn ask her mother "When is daddy coming back?"


	8. Chapter 8: Ruin of Dreams

Chapter VIII- Ruin of Dreams

Lombardia sailed through the clouds once again, this time heading into dangerous waters. Indeed, it was water-a massive ocean stretched endlessly beneath them.

"This is incredible!" Gallows shouted over the wind. "A world of green and blue! Just like the Prophets said!"

"It's a toy world," Lombardia replied. "Do not forget who wrought this world."

The archipelago that once was had broken apart. The islands had drifted to vast corners of the mainland infrastructure. It was almost as if the earth was expanding. This assumption was almost confirmed by Lombardia's next comment.

"This flight feels longer to me," she said in frustration.

Virginia spotted the smallest island in the middle of a coral reef with the small structure that was barely a dot at their present height.

"Lombardia!" She called. "Down there!"

"I see it, little one!" Lombardia replied.

The dragon's wings lifted, and she set herself down slowly, with Gallows and Virginia clinging to her back. They landed with a soft thud on the dull earth. Lombardia nodded to them and they headed into the ruined cave-like metal formation.

The machines that once littered these hallways were now long gone. They had been ripped from their foundations. All that remained were wires, scrapped shells and the occasional unnecessary add-on part, such as a monitor or plug-in. This seemed very familiar to Virginia.

"It's been scrapped. Just like the Yggdrasil Generator," Virginia gasped.

"So that settles it then," Gallows cursed. "She really is alive."

Virginia didn't want to believe it, but all the evidence pointed there. As she stumbled down the hallways, her mind reflected on the journey that had led her here.

They had all met on a train. Call it fortune, chance, coincidence, fate. It all led to the same thing. They helped Gallows grandmother, Halle, and received their first mediums in exchange. During what should have been their parting celebration at Jolly Roger, Virginia suggested that they team up and become a Drifter party.

They got caught up in a mess from there, with her leading the way. They fought against Janus Cascade and his lackeys. Janus sought the powerful Dark Spear, but what she didn't know until later was that this search was not for his own needs, but the needs of the Prophets.

These three Prophets turned Janus into a demon using the Dark Spear and sought the restoration of the planet Filgaia by morphing it into a Demon world. Evolution and terraformation were words they tossed around casually. But their Yggdrasil system failed… or so it seemed. But, with Janus sacrificing his life in the process, they restored the Demon Lord Siegfried.

The Demon Lord wanted to use Filgaia as a planet to raise demons, and a star ship for taking over the entire galaxy. He attempted to use nanomachines, an ancient technology, to cause this terraformation. He would have been successful, especially since he utilized the powerful gem, the Teardrop, in his efforts, but at the final moment when things seemed hopeless, they stopped him.

And, in the last phase of their journey, the dream demon Beatrice revealed herself. She had manipulated everyone of them into creating her world. A Filgaia of her own creation. She manipulated Lamium, the Order of the Ark of Destiny and killed him, a crime for which Virginia and her friends now held the blame. She tried to use Shane to summon the powerful Surge of Gaia, which would provide the energy she required. She used to monster-producing Demondor Pillars to invoke fear in the population of Filgaia.

And Virginia and the others defeated her. And yet here she was… once again prepared to destroy Filgaia for her own desires.

Virginia rounded a corner, where the final chamber rested. And she saw something amazing. The area that had once been caved-in was now open. A long dark tunnel led down, like the one she had taken upon leaving Gunner's Heaven.

And the body of Catherine's father was not there.

"Where do you suppose this one goes?" Gallows asked.

"I don't know," Virginia said. "But I'm going to find out."

"Why?" Gallows asked. "What happens if we get stuck in here too?"

"The professor's body isn't here," Virginia said. "Somebody moved him."

Gallows eyed Virginia suspiciously for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay. You're the boss."

The tunnel wound deep into the earth like a spiral staircase. Virginia's feet started to hurt from the steady decline and the long path. Just when she felt she could bear it no longer, she heard a voice. It was soft, but it was definitely a man's voice. She could not hear what he was saying, but she could tell that he was muttering to himself, mainly because she did not hear another voice respond to his statements.

Gallows heard the voice to and without any ceremony took the lead. They rounded the corner a few more times and the path ended. They were in yet another strange tunnel with massive pulleys, but this time there was no water, just endless void.

And standing in front of them was the silhouette of a familiar man in a long auburn coat. He was standing over a long-decayed corpse which he had apparently moved himself. Virginia was about to rush over and hug Clive, when Gallows put his hand firmly on her shoulder.

"What?" Virginia asked, almost annoyed.

"Listen," Gallows hissed.

Virginia turned back to Clive and finally his words were clear to her.

"Oh yes, Professor. Boot Hill is lovely this time of year. What's that? No, Professor, I don't recall anything like that. You must be thinking of that Janus Cascade. I hear he's a world famous Drifter. Not that I'd know anything about that, mind you. So do you think we'll be able to find the cause of Filgaia's decay here, Professor?"

"Does he think that the corpse is talking?" Virginia asked.

"I sure hope he's crazy. We've seen weirder things happen on this journey," Gallows replied, a slight tremble in his voice.

Clive jerked his head in the direction of Virginia and Gallows. He wasn't wearing his glasses, his forehead had a terrible gash and his eyes were hollow and distant.

"Oh," he said with a hint of a smile crossing his lips. "We have visitors."

Clive walked over to the two of them. Gallows stood in front of Virginia and Clive stopped abruptly.

"My word," said Clive, now putting on his glasses. "You must be a Baskar. I've only read about your ilk in books. And who is your enchanting young friend?"

"Clive," Gallows shook. "Don't you recognize us?"

"How did you know my name?" Clive asked. "Are you friends of the Professor? I'm sorry, he must have introduced me to about a hundred people by now, but I'm not good with faces. Oh, Professor. You have visitors!"

Clive turned back to the corpse, who did nothing.

"I'm afraid the Professor is a bit busy at the moment. He tends to get wrapped up in his work. Anyway, you should head out now. This is an archaeological dig, and we can't have you accidentally tainting our findings," Clive put his hand on Gallows arm and made to escort him back the way he'd come.

Gallows grabbed Clive's free hand and shook him fiercely. "Clive! Get a hold of yourself!"

"What's the meaning of this?!" Clive shouted back. "Unhand me this instant!"

"Listen to me! Your name is Clive Winslet. You live in Humphrey's Peak. You're married to a woman named Catherine and have a daughter named Kaitlyn!" Gallows shouted.

"Married to the Professor's daughter?" Clive laughed. "You really are mad. Now come on, is this some kind of joke?"

"The Professor is dead!" Virginia shouted, unable to take it any longer. "You've been talking to a corpse!"

"Of course he's not dead, he's," Clive looked back at the disfigured body of his former mentor. "Professor? Professor?!" Clive ran back to the body and tried to lift it up. "Come on, wake up! This isn't funny anymore. Professor! Professor!"

Clive was wailing now, tears streaming down his face. "Your daughter! You can't leave her now! You can't leave me! We're going to discover the cause of Filgaia's decay! Didn't you say that you wouldn't stop until you were finished? Please, Professor."

Suddenly, the corpse slipped from Clive's grip. Clive lifted his ARM, a massive rifle, and turned to Virginia and Gallows.

"You killed him," he said, in a voice that Virginia had never heard come from a human.

Clive began to fire, but Gallows pushed Virginia to the ground and rushed up to Clive. He tackled him to the ground and kicked his ARM to the side. He used his free hand to slap Clive across the face, but Clive continued kicking and struggling against Gallows. Suddenly the ceiling gave way and a massive vein of water broke, spilling the cool liquid on them both.

Clive stopped struggling, and opened his mouth wide, drinking the fresh water. He pushed Gallows off of him and greedily partook of the liquid. He laughed even harder than he had before and turned to Virginia.

"Water," he smiled. "Amazing thing isn't it?"

And then, he passed out.

He was revived twenty minutes later by Gallows, who had sat over him, forcing him to drink water from his canteen. Virginia stepped back a bit, but Clive waved her forward.

"Virginia? Is that really you?" Clive asked.

"Yes," Virginia sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Heat sickness," Gallows said. "Didn't have enough water and went mad for a bit. Think about it. He must've been stuck on this island for at least four days now. No drinkable water anywhere."

"My canteen ran out after the first," Clive said. "I don't remember much after the evening of the second. I'm sorry if I scared you all."

"Well you damn near blew our heads off with that cannon of yours," Gallows chuckled amiably.

"I'm so sorry," Clive gasped, standing up.

"It's okay, Clive," Virginia nodded. "You weren't yourself."

"My God though. How in the world did you get here?" Clive asked.

Virginia and Gallows spent the rest of the day filling Clive in on their respective journeys and told them about Lombardia joining them once again. At the end, Clive added his thoughts.

"Well then. We just need to find Jet. And, based on what you have said about your landing places, I have an idea of where he would have been thrown… and where he would have gone," Clive said.

"What's that?" Virginia asked.

"Jet would have been thrown to the mainland," Clive said. "Somewhere near Little Rock, by my guess."

"And he would've gone to Humphrey's Peak, because that's where we agreed to meet!" Virginia shouted.

"No," Clive said. "He wouldn't have been thinking about that. He wouldn't gone to the only place he has ever known as a home, even if he didn't know it at the time."

Gallows gasped. "Of course."

"What?" Virginia asked. "Where is he?"

Clive glanced upward. "The Leyline Observatory."


	9. Chapter 9: Leyline Observatory

Chapter IX- Leyline Observatory

The moon was rising in Humphrey's Peak, and the streets had long since cleared. People were safe in their homes and the only ones wandering around were Virginia, Gallows and Clive.

They strolled down the alley towards Clive's house and were greeted by the shriek of joy that could have only come from Kaitlyn. The little girl in the blue dress ran over the threshold and into her father's arms.

"Daddy!" She cried. But she didn't have the energy to say anything else it seemed. As soon as Clive hugged her, she fell asleep.

Catherine came out and smiled. "You're late, Mr. Winslet."

"Mr. Winslet?" Clive asked with a chuckle. "I must be in trouble."

"Your daughter refused to go to bed. When she saw your friends earlier she just couldn't understand why you weren't with them," Catherine sighed.

"Let's put her to bed," Clive said. "And we can stay for the night, but we have to continue on our way in the morning."

"I understand," Catherine nodded.

Although, Clive knew that this constant traveling of his was taking a serious toll on their relationship. Catherine was simply too good for him. She bent over backwards, raising their daughter, taking care of their home and the countless other things she did to provide a suitable environment for Kaitlyn to grow up in and for Catherine and him to enjoy.

He thought that his Drifting days would have ended, but with the recent turn of events, along with being a wanted man, that couldn't happen just yet. And yet here stood his personal saint of a wife, promising to continue her efforts to afford him more borrowed time on which to live.

"I won't make anymore promises I can't keep," Clive said as he bowed and entered his bedroom.

He gave his wife and daughter hugs and kisses at the door the next day and the group set out, preparing themselves for the worst. It had been six days since the accident. If Jet hadn't found water, he would probably be dead.

They boarded Lombardia and she soared across the wasteland stretch. Once they were fully airborne, Virginia looked behind them and shouted.

"Look behind us!"

The town of Humprhey's Peak was engulfed in green almost as soon as she had said it. Soon, the entire Highland Plateau was a massive collection of plains and farmlands. Rivers forced their way through the plateau and the dunes in front of them were all that remained of the original wasteland. The dunes behind them were a brilliant ocean of blue.

"It stopped," Clive commented. "I wonder why it's moving in sets like this."

"I hope we don't have to find out," Gallows said. "If the world is completely reformed, then that means that Beatrice will have completed whatever it is she's after."

"It's so hard to believe that something so beautiful can be the work of a demon," Virginia sighed.

The dragon touched down in front of the strange laboratory structure, which the party recognized as the Leyline Observatory. Lombardia sniffed the air and warned her friends of the impending danger that she felt.

"This is not the place you recall. Be careful, little ones," Lombardia instructed.

Despite the dragons warning, the first few corridors were exactly as the group recalled. A set of hallways, with an elevator here and there.

However on the third floor, the dragon's warning was finally understood. The hallways were still the same physically, but they felt the evil air as clear as if the guardians were still with them. They heard a maniacal laughter that did not belong to Jet.

Clive and Gallows lifted their ARMS, and Virginia reached for her hips, before recalling that she was still unarmed.

"I left my ARMs in the Sandcraft," Virginia cursed. "You didn't find them with you by any chance?"

"I'm afraid not," Clive said.

"Yeah, me neither," Gallows replied.

"Well then, you boys had better take the lead," Virginia ordered. She had never truly appreciated how helpless she felt without her ARMs until this moment.

They entered a door on their right, which held countless habitation tubes for samples. The room where Jet had been artificially created. And standing in front of them was not Jet, but another familiar drifter.

"Janus…" Virginia quaked.

"It can't be. He's dead," Gallows shouted.

Janus turned his head. He looked at the party confused for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"Fooled you didn't I?" Janus laughed.

"What? You mean you weren't dead?" Clive asked.

"Huh? No, no! It's me, Maya!" Janus chortled.

And suddenly, a bright light flashed through Janus's body and standing in his place was their old rival, Maya Schroedinger.

"Maya!" Virginia cried running up to hug her. Maya backed off a little bit, but couldn't avoid Virginia's embrace. "You guys survived!"

"Please," Maya scoffed. "You think a few monsters are gonna take down the world's greatest Drifter party?"

Clive looked around the room. "You say 'party', but I don't see your comrades anywhere."

Maya stopped and looked back at Clive. "Oh, well, that's just the thing. I've been waiting for the guys to return, but they haven't come back yet. I was about to go in after them when you all showed up."

"Where did they go?" Gallows asked.

Maya bobbed her head to a door over her shoulder. "Something big is supposed to be in there. I sent Shady in to investigate, but he never came back. So I sent Todd and Alfred in next and they haven't reported back either. It's been about five minutes now, so I'm getting a little antsy."

"Why didn't you go in first?" Clive asked.

Maya blushed and turned around. "A true leader knows how to delegate authority to her subordinates."

"You weren't scared were you?" Gallows asked.

Maya scoffed and turned back around at Gallows. "Yeah right! It's called being stealthy. Anyways what are you doing here? And where's your little punk friend?"

"We got separated during a Sandcraft accident. We think he might've come here," Virginia explained.

"Well, we sure haven't seen him around here. But you're welcome to come with me. I'm going in that way. I figure now it'll be a full group of four going in," Maya explained.

"What happened to being stealthy?" Gallows asked.

"Oh, shut up!" Maya hissed.

The doorway was supposed to end in a short hall and a generator room. But instead, the hallway continued on downwards into the earth, just as Fila Del Fia and the train tunnel near Gunner's Heaven had.

"Jeez, no wonder they didn't report back," Maya exclaimed looking at the long path ahead of them. "This must go on for miles."

"So, Maya. I thought that you could only turn into characters you read about in books," Virginia began. "So how did you turn into Janus?"

"That's easy. Somebody wrote a book about him," Maya said. She pulled a small hardback novel out of her purse, which read: _Janus Cascade: The Man Behind The Legend._

"There wasn't much to say in praise of that man," Virginia cursed. "What's the story like?"

"It tells the story about his upbringing, childhood, and how he rose to become the greatest Drifter of all time. It leaves out the details of him becoming a demon and trying to destroy the world, of course. It says that he died… trying to apprehend you all," Maya sighed.

"What?!" Virginia shouted. "They turned that man into a hero?"

"Frustrating, I know it. But it sells. People are excited to own the culmination of countless rumors surrounding that mans life," Maya scoffed. "If they only knew the half of it."

As they continued down the path, Virginia thought of another question.

"So what brought you guys here? Was it a contract or just a rumor about treasure?" Virginia asked.

"It's sort of a hip-pocket deal. We agreed to help this guy out by finding him some old machine that's supposed to be hidden here and in exchange he'll repair and give us this sandcraft he found," Maya said.

Virginia stopped in her tracks. "He says he found this Sandcraft?"

"Yeah. It sort of slid up to his cabin by the beach near Little Rock. He needs some machine in here to fix it, but he'll do it for us if we bring it to him. We also have to pay him a bit of Gella, but it's worth it for a Sandcraft. Although with the recent changes I've been hearing about a Sandcraft might not be worth that much to us. Of course he says that with this machine, the Sandcraft will be able to float on the water as well," Maya had a tendency to ramble before getting to the point of anything.

"So he'll turn this Sandcraft into a boat if you find this machine?" Virginia asked.

"Something like that," Maya nodded.

"I think that Sandcraft might be ours," Virginia said flatly.

Maya stopped and rubbed her jaw. "Well… I would feel bad about taking something that belonged to you guys. Then again, it's a freakin' Sandcraft. I'll tell you what, we'll resolve this matter the way we've resolved all disputes."

"Well fine, but you're outnumbered," Gallows pointed out.

"We'll take care of this first. We both have comrades in potential danger, you see," Maya noted.

The others nodded and they continued down into the earth.

The tunnel finally ended an standing before them were Maya's three comrades: A tall man with a black afro and katana, a small boy wearing a bandana, and a small cat-like creature with wings-Todd, Alfred, and Shady. Todd was Maya's bodyguard, Shady was the family pet, and Alfred was Maya's younger brother.

"What's the meaning of this Schroedingers?" Maya shouted.

Todd and Alfred looked back and Shady did a little hover-pirouette move.

"Maya!" Todd said bowing. "I apologize for keeping you waiting, but you must come see this!"

Virginia didn't like the sound of that, but Maya rushed over to the cliff's edge where they stood. Virginia, Gallows and Clive did the same. They looked down into the chasm and saw a massive mountain of gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and all manner of treasure.

"Whoa!" Gallows shouted. "We've hit the mother lode!"

"That's what we thought as well," said Todd.

"The problem is that there is no way to reach it safely from here," Shady said. "I mean I could fly down and grab bits and pieces but that job would take forever."

"I wouldn't have you do that," Maya nodded. It was true. Despite her greed, she would never put her desire above the safety of her comrades. "But go ahead and grab a small handful so we can see what we're dealing with. And be careful."

Shady flew down deep into the chasm and rested his paws on a particularly shiny looking ruby. When he tried to pull it up, the stone wouldn't budge.

"It's stuck!" Shady cursed.

"Damn it," Maya whispered. She then drew an ARM out of her hip holster and shouted. "Shady! Get out of there!"

Shady did as he was told and just in time. A massive tentacle of treasure appeared out of nowhere and smashed down on the ruby that Shady tried to grab.

"What the hell?!" Shady cursed.

"It's a monster!" Gallows shouted, drawing his ARM.

Clive followed suit and Todd drew his katana. Alfred pulled out some bombs from his backpack. Maya looked back at Virginia. She noticed Virginia fidget a little bit and, without asking a question, handed Virginia one of her ARMs.

"Thank you," Virgnia nodded, holding the Vantage Rage MM, a small pistol like her own Rapier.

The monster now revealed its true form, a massive octopus-like creature with eight tentacles that swayed around the room. Clive looked down at the creatures head and saw the same face that haunted his memories.

"It's the same monster!" Clive shouted. "It's the one that attacked us on the Dunes!"

"Time for a little payback!" Gallows grinned maniacally as he jumped over the edge of the chasm and began firing rapidly.

Todd was next, leaping over the edge and slashing the two tentacles that reached for him with his katana. Shady picked up Alfred, although he struggled to hold him up, and Alfred threw bombs onto the creatures head. Shady was whacked by a tentacle and Alfred fell twenty feet to the ground.

"Alfred!" Maya cried.

Alfred, however, seemed uninjured as he leapt out of the way of another smashing tentacle. Maya jumped over the edge headfirst, as if diving, and pulled a large gatling gun seemingly out of thin air. She opened fire on the beast with such recoil that her last few feet of falling appeared to be in slow motion.

She landed on the cold rocky ground and Virginia landed next to her, providing cover fire for Alfred. Clive was the last one to drop, because he had been using his rifle like a sniper, carefully distracting the monster from attacking the airborne girls.

Bullets were flying everywhere. Tentacles thrasing recklessly as Todd cut them off bit by bit. Suddenly, the tentacles stopped moving, and the head of the beast rose up to face them.

It wailed in a voice that Gallows recognized.

"That's one of the voices I heard in Fila Del Fia," Gallows shouted.

"The terraformation has begun. Soon this planet will be mine. There is nothing you can do to stop it," The monster hissed.

"Maybe not," came a harsh voice. "But we can shut you up."

A six-shot burst rang out, hitting the monster square in the head. It stopped moving and slumped onto the ground again, dead. Out of the shadows, stepped Jet Enduro.


	10. Chapter 10: Little Rock

Chapter X- Little Rock

Virginia threw her arms around Jet and breathed a massive cry of relief. Jet staggered backwards and lifted his arms to avoid them being ensnared in her grasp.

"Jeez, calm down will ya?" Jet demanded.

"She does that a lot, I see," Maya teased, rubbing her own arms, where once had rested Virginia's shoulder.

Virginia blushed and stood back up. "I'm sorry, but you can't imagine how glad I am to see you."

"No," Jet said. "I actually have a pretty good idea. I've been stuck in this damn cave for six days now. If I hadn't found a stream about a mile back I would have been dead by now."

"Well, we're all back together now, at any rate," Gallows said. "Mission accomplished."

Jet seemed indignant at this comment. He threw his arm into the air, almost smacking Shady in the process, and began to shout.

"You really think it's over? Do you have any idea what's going on here?" Jet shouted.

"You mean the terraformation?" Clive asked, now raising a hand to his glasses.

Jet stopped and lowered his hand. He seemed horrified now. "You mean… it's already started?"

Virginia put her hand on Jet's shoulder. "You had better take a moment to brace yourself before we head outside."

---

Upon exiting the Leyline Observatory Jet let out an audible gasp. It was the first time Virginia had ever seen Jet so singularly dumbstruck, even though he was a fairly quiet person to begin with.

"Are we too late?" Jet asked after several moments.

"The entire world isn't terraformed yet, but it can only be a matter of days," Lombardia said, seeming upset that her presence had not been acknowledged (and, indeed, fascinated) by Jet.

"We need to act fast," Clive said. "Let's review what we know."

Pitting their brains together, and recalling in full detail their individual adventures, they felt as though they had grown no closer to an answer. The only real clue they had was Gallows discovery of the voices in Fila Del Fia, and a story that Jet told them.

His second or third night in the cave (it was hard for him to recall) he had heard three voices whispering to each other, seemingly unaware of his presence. He said they sounded like the Prophets at first, but not in their voices, but their words.

They, too, had spoken of terraformation, and the need to seek the Teardrop.

"So," Maya said, resting her head on her hand. "You're telling me that the world becoming this paradise is a bad thing?"

"It's a fake world," said Lombardia. "A desert mirage, nothing more."

Maya got to her feet and raised herself to her full height—a modest 5'6", but still imposing enough to make it obvious that she was about to make an announcement.

"Very well," Maya said. "The Schroedinger family will do all we can to assist you."

Lombardia roared with approving laughter, but then noted. "My back can only fit four heroes. Those who bested me in combat."

"No need," Maya said. Out of her bag she pulled out a small round device that looked like part of an engine. "This is the machine that the old coot in Little Rock needs to turn the Sandcraft into a watercraft. Assuming you don't mind, we'll go ahead and take it. This way, we can split up and be more effective."

Clive, Gallows and Jet all looked at Virginia. She had long since gotten over the awkward feeling of stage-fright of having the center of attention thrust upon her.

"Okay. But before you take it, I need to go look for something," Virginia said.

"You ARMs, right?" Maya asked. "Yeah, you won't do much good without that."

"That's all well and good," Todd said. "But where should we go?"

"Right now, we know of two hotspots," Clive said. "Fila del Fia, where the enemy appears to be centered, and the Ruins of Memory which houses the Teardrop."

"It might also do us good to go see what granny knows," Gallows suggested. "I mean it's not like we can get prepared in Jolly Roger."

"And we'll need the guardians back as well. We'll have to make a trip to the Fallen Sanctuary sooner or later," Virginia said.

"I guess it's settled then. We're heading to the Baskar Colony," Clive noted.

Maya and the Schroedingers seemed a little confused, but not wanting to reveal their ignorance to their former rivals, Maya nodded approvingly. "That's a good plan. In the meantime the Schroedinger clan will go check out Fila Del Fia."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, rushing headlong into the enemy?" Gallows asked.

"That's the only way we Schroedingers can live," Maya declared valiantly. "Besides which as long as it takes to get their by sandcraft you'll probably beat us there."

The others chuckled, but only nervously.

"For now let's just head to Little Rock," Todd suggested. "Lady Virginia can reclaim her ARMs and we can make sure that our new craft works before splitting up."

"That's fine for _you_," said Jet, finally joining the conversation. "We're wanted criminals, remember? We can't just go waltzing into town."

"No need, remember?" Alfred said. "Our man lives in a cabin on the outskirts, near the beach."

Jet nodded. "Whatever. Let's get going already."

"I guess we had better hike, if Lombardia will only carry you all," Shady said.

Lombardia groaned low. "Very well. After all what is hundreds of years of Draconic Pride compared to the end of the world? I will permit you to ride me for this one trip, understood?"

Maya smiled and bowed low.

---

The man who lived in the cabin was not quite what Virginia and the others were expecting. He had a thick moustache, a large stomach and smelled distinctly of ale. He did not seem the mechanical type. After a brief introduction exchange, the man got straight to business.

"Oh, so you brought that machine eh?" The man asked.

"Yes sir," Maya smiled. "So about the Sandcraft…"

"Right right, only it needs a different name…" The man stumbled over his own words. He reminded Clive of a man they had met on their journeys, also a mechanic, who seemed too wrapped up in his own ideas to share them with his audience.

"Well, what's wrong with boat?" Alfred suggested.

"That'd be all well and good if what this machine did was allow you to traverse the surface of the water only. But no, no, my child. This device is called an Oxygen Compressor. It allows air to be stored within the vessel for a pre-determined set of time. With some modifications, I will be able to tweak it such that it will convert the water around you into more oxygen," The man explained.

Virginia had never heard so many words used to explain absolutely nothing.

"But… there's plenty of air around the machine. The Sandcraft was open at the top to allow air inside," Virginia said.

"Ah, but that's just the thing isn't it? There's no air beneath the surface is there?" The man said.

"Beneath the surface?" Maya asked. "What are you playing at?"

"My dear," The man said, turning to Maya. "If I wanted to create something that floated on the surface of the water I only need put two boards together and tie them with rope! This machine is going to allow you to travel beneath the surface and explore the underwater world!"

There was a collective gasp from everyone except Clive (who seemed to understand the mechanics), Alfred (who had apparently heard of such concepts before), and Jet (who thought that compared to his entire world turning upside down, a new toy was nothing to be impressed at.)

"But what to name it? It goes below the surface. Sub-Surface Explorer! No… that's not true. It only goes beneath the surface where there is water… aqua… marine… sub… aha! I hereby title my new invention the Aquamarine Sub!" The man declared.

There was a moment of silence.

"Um, how about Submarine?" Alfred suggested.

"That's it, m'boy!" The man shouted, patting Alfred firmly on the back. "The Submarine! And as a special recognition of the people who made it possible, I am going to name this particular model, the Schroedinger!"

Maya seemed pleased, but Alfred seemed upset that it had not simply been called "The Alfred."

"Say, before you get to work, do you mind if we check out the Sandcraft?" Virginia asked.

"What's that?" The man asked.

"Well, it used to be ours and… we left something important on it," Virginia explained.

The man looked at Virginia's hips and nodded. "I'm 'fraid the Sandcraft is already sixes and sevens, but I did manage to retrieve that particular item before I had to start taking it apart."

The man moved over to a small chest, which he opened to reveal the Bantorain and Rapier, Virginia's ARMs. They were twin pistols, one slightly larger (The Bantorain) and one smaller, but more accurate (The Rapier).

For the first time in almost a week, Virginia held her ARMs once again. It was such a powerful feeling, like a combination of reuniting with an old friend, and no longer being naked and vulnerable. She cocked her weapons and went outside. Taking aim at a rogue vulture, she fired her ARMs, relieved to find that her aim had not been damaged by the journey.

"How long will it take you to get the Submarine complete?" Clive asked.

"About a day. The basic design is already complete, I just need to add the compressor and make sure it works right," the man said. "Now about my fee…"

Maya handed over a pouch with 1000 gella in it. "Is that enough for you?"

"Not quite. It only barely covers the cost of supplies, but for a pretty lady like you, I'll consider it fair," the man said, bowing low. "Thank you for giving an old mechanic something to be proud of before he passes on."

Maya bowed in return.


	11. Chapter 11: Baskar Colony

Chapter XI- Baskar Colony

The submarine was finished the next morning, just as the man had promised. After giving them a basic tutorial on its use, he (with the help of Clive, Gallows, Todd and Jet) rolled it across logs into the water near the cabin.

"Sir," Clive said. "We never got your name."

"Eh?" The man asked. "The name is Dennis Sanmite. Inventor extraordinaire. Come back and visit me sometime."

"Thank you very much for all your help, Dennis," Virginia beamed.

"Alright then, we're off," Maya said. "We'll meet you at Fila Del Fia. Don't keep us waiting too long, okay?"

"We'll just grab our guardians and the Teardrop and see where things go from there," Gallows said.

"You be careful, miss," Clive said.

"Hah!" Todd laughed. "Milady is more than capable of defending herself, as you know. We'll keep her safe too, don't worry."

The Schroedingers boarded the submarine and Lombardia huffed impatiently behind them. The group turned to see the mighty dragon rolling its eyes.

"We have no time to waste on pleasantries. It's been six days since the terraformation began. I have only ever prayed to see Wasteland when flying high above the endless dunes to the east," Lombardia grunted. "Come on! We haven't much time."

---

The Baskar Colony had apparently not seen terraformation yet, but then it was very hard to tell as it was an oasis with green fields and fresh water even before. As soon as the familiar Drifters walked into town, it burst to life. People gathered around, babbling incoherently about being "glad to see them" and "how good it is to see you alive."

Before the party could begin to comprehend the meaning of this unusually warm welcome, a familiar grating voice was heard shrieking above the crowd.

"Gallows Carradine!" shrieked the voice of Halle.

"Hey granny!" Gallows shouted waving his hand.

"Don't you granny me!" Halle said, walking up to him and whacking him across the leg with her walking stick. "Six days since our world began to change and you haven't come to see me!"

"We're here now!" Gallows pleaded.

"And about time!" Halle cursed.

But then she saw the bedraggled look of the others and her mood changed instantly to sympathetic. Apparently she expected her grandson to look horrible, but with the other professionals amongst her this was most unusual behavior.

"Are you alright, children?" Halle asked.

"There's a lot to explain," Virginia said.

It felt weird repeating her story for the fifth time, but as she did she recalled new bits and pieces. It seemed to be the same way with Gallows, Clive and Jet, because they shared new mites that she had yet heard.

"Hmm. This is quite bad," Halle sighed. "Without the Guardians power there is little we can do."

"Yeah. As a matter of fact we were going there to reclaim them… you know to the Fallen Sanctuary," Gallows said.

"My grandson, I've lost the will to scold for your stupidity," Halle moaned. "One cannot directly communicate with the Guardians. You need the Ark Sceptres, and you returned those sceptres to me," Halle explained.

"So, can we not get them back?" Clive asked.

Halle sat down. "You have all regaled with tales of your adventures, now it is my turn to speak. Since time is of the essence I will make this brief."

The group dared not vocalize their gratitude, but did breath a collective sigh of relief.

"While you were away on your little vacation, the Baskar Colony has been attacked three times by roving bandits! The first attack they merely stole some food and water. It bothered us not. We freely give food and water to passerbys and if these men wished to take it by force then it was only an unnecessary exertion of effort on their part.

The second time happened about four days ago. They came back into town and demanded the Ark Sceptres. We refused, of course, and so they knocked over some pots, stole some more food and water and left.

The third time happened just last night. They snuck in the middle of the night and stole the four Ark Sceptres from right under our very nose. And what's worse is… they left a note saying that they were heading to the Fallen Sanctuary to steal the Guardians as well. Shane, of course, headed there with a group of priests, but they have not returned."

"Wait a minute!" Gallows shouted. "You telling me my little brother is at the Sanctuary now. That he could be dead?"

"Shane is a far more competent priest than you. Unlike you he actually completed his training and now is fully qualified. He is a pillar no more," Halle said. "You have no idea how nice it would be for your grandmother to see you fulfill your sacred duties once in a while."

"Sorry granny, but we've got more important things to do right now than try and live up to ancient rituals," Gallows responded. "Clive, Jet, Virginia. We're heading to the Fallen Sanctuary."

The group bowed to Halle, who grudgingly returned. They left the colony and began their journey south to the Fallen Sanctuary.

---

The submarine was unlike anything Maya and the others had ever seen before. The interior was not far removed from what the Sandcraft had looked like, but the iron and steel had been fortified, and the helm window was now 3 inches thick. It was still raised above the rest of the deck by about three feet, but now it had a sleeker look. And, of course, there were no holes for guns or harpoons. There was one mounted offensive option, two large rockets that were kept in airlocks on the port and starboard side. They could be fired at any time, but once they were spent, they were spent.

The only other option was something that Alfred referred to as an electromagnet shielding. In an emergency the hull of the submarine would emit an electric burst for a split second. However this was more of a defensive option and Maya was not too keen on shocking themselves.

Of course Maya didn't want to submerge either.

"What's the point of having a submarine if we don't take it underwater for a look," Alfred protested.

"We have no need," Maya retorted. "We know where we are going and I'll need surface clues to make sure we're going in the right direction."

"Come on, Maya," Shady insisted, joining in on the pleading. "Just a quick dive. We'll return right away."

"Perhaps Milady is concerned that the device might not be functioning properly?" Todd asked.

"That has nothing to do with it, Todd," Maya snapped.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Alfred asked.

Maya often got backed into corners, but rarely by her own logic.

"Oh fine!" Maya hissed. "You take us down, but make sure that we don't hit anything or bump into something, or… well you know!"

Alfred grabbed the lever on his left and gave it a steady pull. The Schroedinger began its descent into the underwater abyss.

---

The Fallen Sanctuary was the home of the spiritual entities known as guardians. For a place of such spiritual renown, it was depressingly barren and ruined. Virginia once theorized that the state of the sanctuary reflected the state of the world, and Virginia took its continued decay as proof in her heart that this new world was not one of natural design.

"Don't dawdle," Gallows ordered. "We need to find my brother and the other priests."

They climbed the stairs in the center of the sanctuary to a large altar on the top of the building. They were surrounded by eight massive pillars of stone, each bearing the name of a guardian.

"Shane!" Gallows shouted. "Are you here?!"

"Quiet!" Jet hissed. "What if those bandits are here?!"

"What if, indeed?" Came a dark voice.

Out from behind the largest pillar stepped a man in a long black robe. He had long brown hair and carried a massive rifle with a large bayonet on the end. Virginia recognized this ARM immediately.

"That's Janus's weapon," Virginia said. "Who are you and how did that end up in your hands?!"

"Janus was never good at finishing what he started," the man said coolly. "He left this weapon behind when you defeated him at Ka Dingel. You remember, I'm sure. When the Prophets handed him the Dark Spear?"

Jet had already raised his ARM, and Gallows and Clive were now loading theirs. Virginia raised her hand up to stop them.

"Who are you?" Virginia demanded.

"My name is Lucio," The man bowed slightly. "At your service."

"Lucio?" Jet asked. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Wait a minute, who's this Lucio?" Clive asked.

Jet shook his head. "Janus kept talking about a man who used to be with him, Dario and Romero. His name was Lucio and he had been killed."

"Clearly not," Gallows noted, walking closer to Virginia. He raised his rifle and aimed it at Lucio. "Where is Shane and the other priests?"

The man took off the robe and revealed the body of a very muscular warrior. He wore a grey sleeveless shirt, and had a holster for a knife around his left bicep. He wore black pants which were covered in ammo clips.

"They're fine," Lucio said. "It's not my style to hurt men of the cloth. They were just the bait."

"Where are they?" Gallows demanded.

"Please, no need to shout. This is a sacred place," Lucio flashed a perfect set of white teeth as he sneered. "They're in the inner sanctum below. My men are keeping them in check. In the meantime, I think you all and I have a little unfinished business to attend to."

Lucio raised Janus's weapon and fired off a warning shot. Virginia now raised her twin pistols in response.

"I will succeed where Janus failed. I will bring forth a Filgaia worthy of my master and I will destroy the Guardians. And, of course, you four in the process," Lucio shouted.

"You've heard one nutjob's speech you've heard them all," Jet cursed.

Jet opened fire, his six shot burst barely missing Lucio who ducked behind a pillar. Gallows ran to the left lifting his shotgun. Clive ran to the right, attempting to pincer Lucio. It was Virginia who fired though.

"He's on top of the pillar!" Virginia shouted as she let two shots ring out from her ARMS.

Lucio leapt with amazing dexterity from the top of the pillar to another pillar on the opposite side of the sanctum. He fired three rounds, the last one hitting Jet's right shoulder.

"Damn it!" Jet shouted as he swiftly turned and sent another six-shot burst in the direction of Lucio.

Lucio was not so lucky this time, and Jet's aim was true. Two rounds hit Lucio in his leg as he dropped behind the pillar. As Lucio rounded a corner with his rifle, Clive's first shot hit its mark, knocking Lucio back, a large bullet hole in his chest.

"Well, you all are mighty fine shots," Lucio laughed. "Too bad I plan ahead."

Lucio lifted a large red shell from out of his ammo clip. He rolled behind a pillar, Gallows attempting to hit him as he did so. Lucio made it to safety and he loaded the large red shell into Janus's weapon.

"You're really gonna like this one kids! This is the secret to my success," Lucio shouted as he jumped out of cover and fired the large red bullet into the center of the sanctum.

It landed a few feet from Virginia and lay there. For a moment nothing happened. Then Jet grabbed Virginia's arm and pulled her to safety. It all happened in a split second, in what seemed like an eternity. The red bullet glowed as bright as a flare and then exploded sending Jet and Virginia rocketing towards the small wall surrounding the sanctuary. Virginia landed safely in front of it, but Jet rolled over the top and slid down twelve feet to the ground below.

Virginia saw Lucio run down the stairs, limping as he did so, and then she was overcome with darkness. She opened her eyes again what seemed to be mere seconds later to see two large priests standing over her, one opening his medicine pouch. She tried to turn her head, but she couldn't stand the pain. She heard faintly above the high-pitched ringing that was in her ears, the voice of Shane.


	12. Chapter 12: The Deep

Chapter XII- The Deep

Virginia awoke in a bed in the Baskar Colony. Laying in the bed next to her was an unconscious Jet. His shirt and scarf had been removed and his torso was wrapped in several bandages.

"That exploding bullet thing sent shrapnel all down his back. He won't be going anywhere for a while," Gallows sighed as he entered the room. "From the looks of his right arm, he probably won't be able to even shoot properly anymore."

Just another mark of failure on Virginia's part as leader. But she had no time to pout now. "What about the Guardians?"

"Lucio got away with them. And that's not the half of it. You've been out for two days, so while you were asleep Clive and I decided to run on down to the Ruin of Memory and the Teardrop is gone too," Gallows explained.

Virginia sat up, but then collapsed immediately.

"Save your strength," Gallows instructed.

"But we have to get going! The others will have made it to Fila Del Fia by now!" Virginia called.

"I had Lombardia send them a message. They're hanging out at Gunner's Heaven for the time being," Clive explained as he too joined them,

"So it's been eight days since the terraformation began. What's the world looking like?" Virginia asked.

"Like a paradise," Gallows said. "One that makes me sick to my stomach."

Virginia sat up once again, but this time she did not falter. "We're putting an end to this."

"Without the power of the Guardians we can't do anything!" Gallows cursed.

"You forget! The Guardians aren't the only power in this world! We have power inside us as well. As children of this planet we have a part of the Guardians power! Besides," Virginia took a mournful glance at Jet. "We have no more time to waste."

"Okay, so it looks like we're following Lucio to Fila Del Fia then?" Gallows asked.

Virginia nodded and grabbed her ARMS. Clive and Gallows left and Virginia bent over Jet's bed. "I wish we didn't have to fight without you Jet. Please get better."

---

The flight to Gunner's Heaven was the easy part. What came next was what made the entire trip much more complicated.

"There's a barrier around Fila Del Fia," Maya explained. "There's no way in by the air or land."

"What about by sea?" Clive asked.

"Well that's the trick," Todd chuckled.

"About 100 meters below the surface of the water the barrier lets up. We can sneak in under it!" Alfred explained cheerily.

Lombardia laughed. "I guess I'm not so useful after all."

"Sorry you have to miss the fight Lombardia," Virginia sighed, patting the dragon's wing.

Lombarida nodded. "I will wait in the sky for any unexpected occurrences."

And with that the dragon soared above the distant structure. The others boarded the Schroedinger. It was at this time that Gallows realized how little room there was in the old Sandcraft.

Gallows sat in the back clutching onto the bed post for dear life, Clive sat at an extra chair next to the radar display and Virginia sat in a co-pilot's chair to the right of the helmsman seat.

The craft began its dive, something which grated on Maya's nerves, but the others seemed to very much enjoy.

"I'll never get over that ears popping sensation," Maya flinched.

"It's because of the pressure," Alfred explained. "Don't worry it'll be over once our pressure is normalized."

Suddenly the Schroedinger shook fiercely. Virginia recognized this sensation instantly.

"It's another one of those monsters!" Virginia shouted.

"Todd! Prepare the electromagnet!" Maya ordered.

"Charging! She'll be at 100% in about three minutes!" Todd called back.

"Alfred, plot a course of evasion away from the monster but towards our objective and upload it to my navigation terminal!" Maya shouted.

"Already on it!" Alfred replied.

"Shady make sure our oxygen levels hold! I don't want this monster screwing up our submarine!" Maya called.

"Got it!" Shady called.

Virginia was impressed. Maya was definitely an excellent leader, but she rarely got to see her in action.

The craft lurched lower than their projected altitude. Shady seemed to be panicking over something and Maya demanded an explanation.

"The pressure level is dropping, but not naturally! We've sprung a leak!" Shady shouted.

"Found it!" Shouted Gallows who was being splashed with the freezing liquid. Virginia noticed a puncture in one of the pipes.

"Plug it up with something!" Maya shouted. "I don't want to die here!"

"Firing electromagnet!" Todd shouted.

"No wait!" Maya cried. But it was too late. The electromagnet did manage to pry them free, but also sent a massive shock through the water, frying Gallows. He screamed in pain and then fell onto the bed behind him, clutching his right arm, which was now severely burned.

"How close are we to our destination?!" Maya shouted.

"Less than half a kilometer!" Alfred shouted. "We can make it before we're flooded."

"Roger that!" Maya called. "Virginia is Gallows okay?"

Virginia didn't know. Wailing and weeping on the bed Gallows certainly did not seem okay. The extent of the damage was a mystery to her. Clive rushed over and plugged up the pipe with two large metal orbs.

"This was all I could find," Clive explained. "Part of the old steering mechanism that Dennis didn't want to throw away, thank God."

Gallows calmed down some, but it was clear that he was still in agonizing pain. "I guess it's my turn to get beat up, huh?"

"Stay calm Gallows, you'll be okay," Virginia said, tears now flowing freely.

And another black mark had been indelibly etched into Virginia's memory.


	13. Chapter 13: The Nightmare Ends

Chapter XIII- The Nightmare Ends

Jet awoke in the room where he had spent many nights on this journey. The sunlight streaming in was a bit bright for his liking and so with one solid motion he shut the blinds. It only took him three or so minutes to realize that he had done this without leaving the bed.

How had he done it?

The wind blowing through the nearby window gave him his answer. He had manipulated the air. Was this a hallucination? It must have been, because now he was falling through the ocean, as though he had been flung from a very tall building. He would have screamed, but he knew that he would not be harmed. In all the days of his unpredictable life he had never been so sure of the fact that when he landed, he would be safely standing on both feet.

And he was. He was standing on both feet in the middle of blazing inferno. The fire didn't burn him though. It did nothing to him. It was him. Jet was receiving signals from something, and trying desperately to piece them together. Was this something that the Guardians were telling him? But how could they? He didn't have his Ark Sceptre with him. He could not communicate with them.

And suddenly a brilliantly clear voice entered his thoughts, and he knew what he had to do.

---

The Schroedinger docked on the shore near Fila Del Fia, just inside the barrier. They didn't feel safe leaving just yet, and Gallows could barely move. Virgnia wrapped his arm up in a bandage, but Gallows could not shoot with his good arm ruined. Another warrior out of the picture. This attack plan was looking less and less reliable, but Virginia knew in her heart that this would be their last chance.

"Well, we might as well greet whoever is out there," Virginia sighed. "The hour grows late."

Virginia was the first to step out of the submarine and approach the massive structure. Clive was next, followed by Alfred, Todd, Maya, Gallows and Shady. Lombardia hovered overhead as she had promised and tried to be communicating with them, but the barrier blocked all sound out. It was, in fact, deathly silent.

"So glad you could join us," came the voice of Lucio.

And standing beside him was Beatrice.

"Lovely to see you again," she smiled.

And in an instant, all seven of them were encapsulated in floating blue bubbles and throw into the floating city.

---

"Jet!" Shane protested as Jet began to walk out of the colony. "You're not well yet."

Jet couldn't agree more. He was sick. Dying, probably. But he still had a job to do.

"Lombardia!" Jet shouted as loud as he could. He waited for a minute. Then five. Then ten more after that. But Lombardia was coming. He was certain. This sensation was the best he had ever felt and he would not let it go to waste. It was absolute knowledge that nothing could go wrong.

Suddenly the dragon touched down in front of him.

"Little one!" Lombardia gasped. "You are not well enough to fly."

"That's why I have you," Jet smiled as he climbed on.

---

"So, what do you think of my world?" Beatrice asked.

The orbs had been locked into place hovering just above a gigantic generator room that Virginia had never seen before. But this was definitely not in Fila Del Fia.

"Your friend Gallows was wrong. We weren't trying to get Fila Del Fia to fly again. We wanted to dig deeper. And guess what we found?" Beatrice asked.

Virginia tried to fire her ARMs, but the triggers would not work.

Beatrice laughed. "Please, put those down. All ARMs are under my control now. You see this room?! It's the planet's heart."

"It's heart?" Clive asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you get it? ARMs, Dragons, Demons… they all are half-organic and half-machine right? Well did none of you guess that Filgaia was the same way?" Beatrice asked.

"Of course…" Clive cursed. "How did we not figure it out sooner?"

Beatrice turned to Lucio. "Your usefulness has ended."

And with one swift motion Beatrice raised her left hand, which in an instant became a massive talon. She plunged it through Lucio's heart and he fell dead on the spot. Beatrice turned to Virginia. "And now that this world has been restored, I intend to adopt it. It's not my Filgaia, but deep down I'm just a lonely mother looking for a planet."

---

"The barrier prevents me from entering!" Lombardia called. "What do you intend to do?"

"The barrier is no longer an issue," Jet said. And the moment he said it, the bright purple field of energy surrounding Fila Del Fia dissipated. Lombardia roared in triumph and rocketed towards the ground. When she touched down, Jet jumped off her back and began to run into the city. He was almost there.

---

"And now, my friends, it's time to dispose of you. The last remaining obstacle to my final victory," Beatrice said smiling. And with that, the orbs disappeared and the warriors fell to the ground. Maya pulled out her ARMs instantly and began shooting, but Beatrice simply laughed, absorbing each round harmlessly.

Her arm extended well beyond its normal length and smacked Maya against the wall. Virginia rushed to help her, but Beatrice's other arm backhanded her and sent her flying in the opposite direction.

Gallows raised his arm, and conjured an orb of bright white light, but it had no effect.

"The Guardians cannot help you now!" Beatrice laughed cruelly as she sent Gallows sailing with a glance.

Shady hid behind Todd, who had drawn his katana. Beatrice simply grinned cruelly and the katana shattered into a thousand pieces. Alfred rushed over to help his sister, who had now reached for her gatling gun and begun firing rapidly. Beatrice yawned and redirected the bullets to the ceiling, sending metal shards falling to the ground.

Clive lined up his shot and took it, but it also had no effect. Beatrice tilted her head slightly, completely avoiding the bullet.

"Enough of this!" Cried a voice.

Beatrice turned to see Jet standing just behind her.

"Another puppet come to play?" Beatrice smiled.

"We don't need the Guardians to defeat you. You forget, Beatrice. I was created to be a sample Filgaia. I was imbued with the power of the Filgaia. I **am **a Guardian!" Jet yelled. And with his words, his Airget-lahm began to glow brightly.

"Hmph! So be it! Let's match the power of the demons against that of an amateur Guardian!" Beatrice cackled. Jet began firing and the bullets seemed to hunt Beatrice down, each one hitting its mark.

Beatrice wailed in pain, but was clearly not down yet. She retorted by whipping countless tentacles of darkness at him. They began to bind his arms and legs and soon he was covered in the blackness.

"No, I don't think so!" Jet called. The tentacles disintegrated in the light that now began to glow from Jet himself.

"Jet!" Virginia cried.

"It's time for me to do what I was put on this earth to do," Jet announced. "I was created to give new hope to Filgaia, and that's what I'm about to do!"

Jet raised the Airget-lahm and took the open shot. The six round burst hit Beatrice squarely in the chest and she screamed in agony. Her body began to melt into a dark black ooze that spread across the floor until her scream finally stopped.

It was over.

Jet collapsed onto the ground and Virginia rushed over to him.

"Is he okay?!" Clive demanded.

"He's breathing, but he's out," Virginia sighed.

"Let's go outside. We'll know more then," Gallows suggested.

---

The exterior was the same old Fila Del Fia they had recalled. The land structure was the same, but it was still covered in the green grass and running streams.

"The world has begun to right itself," Lombardia announced. "And yet it is still the world of green and blue."

"Who's doing it this time?" Gallows asked.

Virginia nodded down at Jet who was resting in Gallows arms. "He's doing his job. He's remembering Filgaia the way it was supposed to be."

"So the world's gonna go back to normal?" Maya asked.

"Maybe a bit better," Clive chuckled.

---

Virginia sat in a bar in Little Twister. Sitting across from her was Jet, and to her right was Gallows. Clive, being the only uninjured one in the group was getting their drinks.

"I think I'm gonna give up this Drifting business," Gallows said. "It's getting too hazardous for my health."

"Me too," Jet nodded. "I've got more important things to worry about now. Like finding out exactly what a Guardian is supposed to do."

Clive set their drinks down on the table and nodded. "I need to spend more time with my family. I'm almost thirty."

"I guess I'll probably go home to Boot Hill," Virginia sighed. "It's been fun, but I think I wanna lead a nice quiet life far away from any adventure from now on."

Gallows chuckled. "Yeah. I suppose I should start living up to my priestly duty or something. But maybe I can set up a chapter far away from Granny."

"Yeah. Now that Maya told those Order members the whole story about our journey our names are clear again, so it's not like we have to hide, eh?" Clive pointed out.

"Well then I guess this our last round of drinks together," Gallows sighed. "Who would have thought our train ride would have ended up like this?"

"Well it's not really goodbye. We'll see each other again," Virginia smiled.

"I'll look forward to it," Gallows said as he set his portion of the bill on the table.

"We had some fun times. Didn't make a lot of money, but that suddenly seems much less important than it used to," Jet said adding his.

"I'll never forget our times together. Thank you all," Clive said, adding his portion.

Virginia nodded and placed her gella on the table as well. "Well then, for one last time boys, job well done. You're dismissed."

The four exited the bar together, but took separate tracks on the journey to their new lives.


End file.
